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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23764543">Disappointment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellisntthatshiny/pseuds/rinbunn'>rinbunn (wellisntthatshiny)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Zagan/Vuukal [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dungeons &amp; Dragons (Roleplaying Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood, Break Up, M/M, Other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:01:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,699</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23764543</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wellisntthatshiny/pseuds/rinbunn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes things don’t work out and sometimes those things are friends with benefits arrangements that lasted nearly two hundred years.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>OC: Zagan/ OC: Vuukal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Zagan/Vuukal [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677913</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Disappointment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Set a few years before Zagan officially joins the Cult of Rakdos and while he’s still working as an Advocate for Orzhov.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>Fuck</em>, Asova, was this really necessary?” </p>
<p>Vuukal winces in the mirror as he carefully inspects the bite wound in his shoulder. It’s not just deep, but torn open and bleeding heavily, dark red blood dripping down his chest. He leans over the sink, glaring disapprovingly at the drops pooling in the basin. There’s a rustle from the adjoining bedroom and he glances over to see the red devil responsible for the current state of his shoulder stretch as he rises from the bed with a yawn before he bothers to respond.</p>
<p>“Oh hush you’ve never had a problem with me getting rough with you before. I hope you aren’t going to start making a fuss now.”</p>
<p>“Rough is fine. Rough is not you taking a chunk out of my shoulder, you ass.”</p>
<p>“You’re fine.” Zagan rolls his eyes. “Stop being a baby it isn’t that bad.”</p>
<p>“The blood pouring into my sink from where you quite literally took a bite out of my shoulder says otherwise.” Vuukal looks down again and mutters to himself “Too much time in fucking Rakdos.”</p>
<p>“What was that?” </p>
<p>Vuukal narrows his eyes and he can’t quite keep the frustration out of his voice as he speaks up. “I said that you’re spending too much time in Rakdos.”</p>
<p>“You’ve never been one for jealousy, Vuukal. Why do you suddenly care where I spend my time?” Zagan’s tone is only half teasing, a cold edge creeping into the words as he stops moving in the other room. Vuukal can feel the devil’s eyes on him and he looks up to meet his gaze, frustration turning to true anger the moment he sees the smirk on the other’s face.</p>
<p>“It isn’t jealousy you fuck, it’s self preservation. We’ve been doing this, what? Almost two centuries? I know you at least as well as you know yourself, Asova and you’ve never been this much of a sadist, not like this.”</p>
<p>Vuukal knows he’s started something he wasn’t sure either of them wanted as soon as Zagan moves to walk towards him, unwavering in his glare as he approaches. He’s still naked, clothing strewn across the floor where he had haphazardly tossed it earlier in the evening. His black hair shines in the dim light of the bathroom as he pulls it over one shoulder, combing his clawed fingers through the long locks. He stands a few steps short of the goliath, brow furrowed and mouth pursed as he considers his next words.</p>
<p>“Maybe you’ve just come up with a nicely sanitized image of who I am. Don’t forget that <em>you</em> were the one who taught me everything I know. You can’t really mean to pretend like this is anything new.”</p>
<p>“Do you truly not see a change in yourself? Seriously, Asova? How many times in two centuries have you made me bleed so much that I have to stand over my damn sink so I don’t ruin the carpet? <em>This</em> is not an arrangement I would ever agree to.”</p>
<p>“To which you would have agreed. Really, Vuukal are you so upset about a single bite that your grammar is slipping? Not a good look on an aging prosecutor.”</p>
<p>“Shut the <em>fuck</em> up and get out of my apartment.” Vuukal doesn’t even make a token effort to stop himself from saying it. He sees the surprise on Zagan’s face and finds that he has no empathy for it, gritting his teeth as he sees him open his mouth to speak.</p>
<p>“Oh calm down-“</p>
<p>“Do you think I’m joking, Asova? You know me better than that. Fix my fucking shoulder, get dressed, and go. And get your shit together while you’re gone.”</p>
<p>“Well I’m hardly going to stay where I’m not welcome.” Zagan turns and gathers his clothing from where it had been discarded on the floor, giving it a needlessly hard shake before beginning to dress. Vuukal pinches the bridge of his nose and does his best to refrain from responding and he can <em>feel</em> Zagan about to say something they would both regret.</p>
<p>“And I’m certainly not doing any favors for someone who has taken it upon themselves to try to control how I spend my time.”</p>
<p>Vuukal snatches a towel and presses it against his shoulder, barely feeling the pain of it as he turns around and storms over to the half dressed devil. He can feel the usually impeccable filter breaking down between his brain and his mouth and decides that Zagan would have just heard his thoughts regardless so he may as well speak.</p>
<p>“That’s not what this is and don’t you dare lie to yourself about it. You’re bored. You beat the challenge that Orzhov presented and now it isn’t enough so you’re throwing yourself into trouble. It isn’t the first time and I doubt it will be the last but Rakdos? Really? Midlife crisis hits so you decide to go on a violent sex binge? I wouldn’t give a fuck what you do down there if you weren’t bringing it back here. To <em>me</em>. I’ve been standing here for nearly ten minutes and you haven’t even bothered to <em>offer</em> a healing spell even though we both know you’re perfectly capable of it. I’m not some Rakdos whore that you can mess up and leave to sort themself out, Asova.”</p>
<p>Zagan finishes fastening the buttons of his shirt and takes a step towards Vuukal, drawing up to his full height and looming over the goliath, sneering down at him. His tail is flicking angrily, and Vuukal snorts at his predictable response to being called on his behavior.</p>
<p>“No, apparently you’re a controlling asshole who has decided he knows what’s best for me. You’re right. I am bored. I’m bored at work, I’m bored at home, I’m bored with <em>you</em>. Nothing is taking the edge off lately so I decided to find something that did. I don’t give a fuck if you approve of my decisions, Vuukal. You aren’t my dear, devoted husband begging me to come home. We aren’t in a relationship. We have an arrangement that has worked just fine for us both and now <em>you</em> are changing the rules.”</p>
<p>Vuukal doesn’t back down from Zagan’s presence, instead glaring up at him and ignoring the way the devil dwarfs even his own large frame. He gets as close to being in the man’s face as he can manage, voice stone cold and tightly controlled as he stares him down.</p>
<p>“Don’t you dare attempt to pin this on me. Don’t you build this up like you’re in the right here so you can huff off to your own damn pity party. I’m not the one changing anything here. You’re the one who has been downright miserable to be around and who has been increasingly violent when we fuck. I have always enjoyed our time together, Asova and I do not have, and have never had, any damn interest in a relationship or in controlling what you do. But I am not going to let you tear me apart because I am not, and have never been, interested in that. I’m not that much of a masochist and you seem to have forgotten that this arrangement is about anything other than yourself.”</p>
<p>“Fine.” Zagan takes a step back and shoves a handful of golden jewelry into his pocket with enough force that his claws slice right through the fabric. He hisses in frustration and clenches his fist around the glittering metal. “Yes, as usual you’re right about everything. Tell yourself that you’re traveling the high road and take yourself right out of the situation the same way you always do. With your moral superiority <em>ever</em> so apparent, how could I have possibly forgotten to treat you with the utmost respect and grace? I am clearly entirely in the wrong here and it’s absurd that I could have ever thought you culpable in any regard.”</p>
<p>“Shut your damn mouth, Asova. Heal my damn shoulder and go cool off somewhere. Go to fucking Rakdos if that’s what you want I don’t care. Just figure your shit out before you come back here because I have no interest in whatever sadistic shit you’ve been doing down there. A rough fuck is one thing, but I don’t need you to leave me bleeding.”</p>
<p>“I’ll take my leave.” Zagan walks to the door, jaw clenched in anger and refusing to look back. Vuukal watches him for a moment in disbelief, becoming aware of the blood now seeping through the towel and onto his fingers. </p>
<p>“I swear to each and every one of the gods, Asova, if you walk out that door without fixing my shoulder-“</p>
<p>“What? What will you do Vuukal?“ Zagan turns to him, and Vuukal can see the lines of tension in his face and body, anger barely covering the increasingly obvious fear in his voice. “ Are you going to expose my darkest secrets? Tell everyone who I really am? Start listing the body count I’ve left in my wake? You won’t do it and we both know it. You’d be incriminated in each and every damn accusation.”</p>
<p>“That’s what you’re concerned about.” It isn’t a question, but a statement of realization and Vuukal’s face drops, anger gone as an overwhelming wave of disappointment sets in. “I would never do such a thing and you should know that. I was going to say that if you don’t fix my shoulder don’t come back, but you’ve blown enough chances at listening to what I ask of you. Clearly this isn’t working for <em>either</em> of us anymore.”</p>
<p>“Vuukal, I-“ Zagan turns, eyes wide as he takes in the way the goliath’s shoulders are slumped, bloody hand pressing a nearly soaked-through towel to the wound in an attempt to stem the bleeding. He winces, and Vuukal wishes it hurt to see him like this, but all he can manage is a vindictive sense of retribution. “Perhaps you’re right. Allow me to-“</p>
<p>“I’ll get a damn cleric. Just go. Goodbye, Asova.”</p>
<p>Zagan slowly pulls back the hand he had unthinkingly extended and reaches instead for the door, unable to hide the way his hand shakes as he turns the knob. “Goodbye, Vuukal.”</p>
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